Island Cup: Whalers hungry to break streak at Vineyard

Friday

Nov 25, 2016 at 10:13 PMNov 27, 2016 at 6:34 AM

By Geoff Conversegconverse@capecodonline.com

OAK BLUFFS – The hope for the Nantucket Whalers football team was that this weekend’s 69th meeting between the visiting Whalers and their rivals from the island next door, Martha’s Vineyard, would be a tuneup for the Division 4 Super Bowl.

However, the best laid plans don’t always come to fruition and once again, Nantucket has had to shift its focus to the rivalry showdown. The Super Bowl dreams for 2016 were dashed three weekends ago when the Whalers lost to Seekonk in the MIAA Division 4 sectional semifinals.

Usually, the game played for the Island Cup is held the Saturday before Thanksgiving, but The Steamship Authority, which controls the boats between the Cape and the two islands, needs a three-week window to plan for a boat to travel between the islands specifically for this game and the fans that will be traveling from Nantucket to the Vineyard.

“We had to make a decision in case we advanced in the playoffs,” explained Nantucket head coach Brian Ryder. “We were the top seed and we fully expected to be playing in the playoffs. That forced us to push things back because they (Steamship Authority) needed three weeks’ notice. As it turned out, we could have played last weekend without any problem, but the decision had already been made.”

It has been 12 straight games that Martha’s Vineyard has won and Nantucket is hungry for a return of the Island Cup, which has been the game’s prize for the past 37 years, to the island known as The Grey Lady. Despite the current losing skid, Nantucket leads the overall series, 35-30-3, but Martha’s Vineyard holds a 20-17 edge in Island Cup games.

This is also the inaugural game as head coach for the Vineyarders’ Steve McCarthy; 28-year head coach Donald Herman ended his run as the MV coach with a 7-0 win last year on Nantucket.

However, McCarthy is familiar with the importance of this game, having served on Herman’s staff for 12 years before heading to California for two seasons before returning this year.

“I’m very familiar with the importance of this game,” McCarthy said as he was prepping his 1-9 squad for the game. “I know it sounds cliché, but when this game starts, you can throw the records out the window. It all comes down to emotions and who is playing their best at the time.”

Backing up McCarthy’s statement is the fact that in the last six meetings between these two teams, the margin of victory has been seven points or less except for one year (2014).

Nantucket (8-2) enters the contest on a two-game losing streak after cruising through the first eight games undefeated and grabbing the top seed in the D-4 South sectional playoffs. After dropping their game to Seekonk, the deflated Whalers followed that loss with a defeat at the hands of Abington.

“I would have to agree that the loss to Abington – a very good football team – was a carryover of the disappointment these kids felt after losing to Seekonk in overtime,” said third-year Nantucket coach Brian Ryder. “We’re over that now and the focus has been solely on this game. This week defines our team and our season. Even when we lose and we’re not in the state playoffs anymore, we have the luxury of playing another Super Bowl, the game against the Vineyard. This is the defining game for both teams this season. The winner goes home with a smile and knowledge that it beat their arch rivals.”

For MV, this has been pretty much a rebuilding year with four seniors in the starting lineup and a number of underclassmen filling in the gaps left vacant from last year’s graduates. The Vineyarders have taken their lumps, but the underclassmen have gained valuable game experience and have been improving since practice started three months ago in August.

“This is a big test for us,” McCarthy said. “For us to win, we have to block and tackle well and we have to be able to move the ball or we will have a long afternoon.”

Shouldering most of the load carrying the ball will be junior tailback Zach Moreis, who has quickness and is hard to bring down. Another offensive weapon will be senior Elisha Matthews, who also plays defensive back and last year picked off a pass at the MV 13-yard line with 11 seconds left in the game to seal the win.

This season, injuries have hampered the success of the Vineyarders with 16 players either currently on or have been on the injured list.

“We’ve had our share of lumps,” McCarthy said. “For us to win this game, we have to be almost perfect. This is a major challenge for us. There is no special recipe. We just have to play good, sound football if we want to win.”

For Nantucket, 12 straight losses does not sit well with the Whaler faithful. And, to make things more difficult is the fact that Nantucket has not beaten the Vineyarders on Martha’s Vineyard since 1995.

“That’s 21 years since we’ve won over there,” Nantucket’s Ryder said. “There are a bunch of folks who have us as the favorite for this game. I can’t agree with that, not when you have 12 losses in a row to the Vineyard and we’re going to a place where we have not won a game in over two decades.”

Some of the reasoning for considering the Whalers the team to beat Saturday may rest on their mammoth front line that features 6-5, 340 pound junior Nick Correia; coach’s son Cory Ryder, a 6-4, 290-pounder; 6-2, 200-pound center Cam Willett, a sophomore; junior guard Owen West, who is 6-1 and 235 pounds, and junior tackle Mark Hamilton, who is 6-3 and 270 pounds.

With that crew paving the way, senior tailback Travis Demby has had an impressive season, and when the Whalers aren’t running the ball, junior quarterback Jack Holdgate has been impressive throwing to solid receivers Burke Hughes and slot receiver J.T. Gamberoni.

“The Vineyard has some good athletes,” Ryder said. “This game comes down to the team that plays disciplined football, gives the best effort and ultimately has the best game.”